Team Report: Oceanside Collegiate Landsharks

Ian Guerin March 31, 2021 @ 09:30 AM

Oceanside Collegiate is going to be one of the more fertile recruiting grounds in South Carolina for at least the next two years. And, honestly, we don’t see it changing after that, either. The Landsharks and then-first-year head coach Joe Call saw their 2020 season come to an end after a COVID-19 exposure forced them to forfeit in the playoffs. What it didn’t do was end big-time expectations for the future. All three phases of the game of the ball are chock full of college recruits for the Class of 2022 and 2023. Defensively, OCA has to feel real good about what it’s got coming back next fall. Linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="89324" first="Carson" last="Arnold"] (6-foot-4, 225 pounds) has already been deemed the best defensive player Call has ever coached. He chews up tackles in bunches, but also was adept at busting up plays in the backfield. Defensive linemen [player_tooltip player_id="59472" first="James" last="Deveaux"] (6-foot-3, 245 pounds), Marcus Adams (6-foot-5, 220 pounds) and Timmy Castain (6-foot-1, 240 pounds) give the Landsharks some height and size that most Class 3A programs can’t deal with. Tack on safety [player_tooltip player_id="59501" first="Roan" last="Shawver"] (6-foot-1, 195 pounds) and OCA has a backside tackler who isn’t afraid to take on ball carriers in the middle of the field or near the sideline. Offensively, that same tenacity is showing up, especially along the line. Class of 2023 tackle [player_tooltip player_id="89337" first="Monroe" last="Freeling"] (6-foot-7, 275 pounds) is already receiving Power 5 offers. Meanwhile, seniors [player_tooltip player_id="59486" first="Jacob" last="Ashley"] (6-foot-4, 305 pounds, pictured above) and [player_tooltip player_id="61077" first="Will" last="Gause"] (6-foot-1, 240 pounds) have added a year of experience to their starting ledgers and will help anchor the trench. The two biggest beneficiaries of that? Class of ’22 quarterback Garrison Kepley (6-foot-2, 180 pounds) and rising junior tailback [player_tooltip player_id="89344" first="Vaughn" last="Blue"] (5-foot-10, 170 pounds). Kepley’s 17-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio last season propelled him to 1,454 passing yards in just seven games. Blue, meanwhile, can run it between the tackles, bounce it outside and catch the ball out of the backfield, making him a well-rounded threat. To boot (pun intended) rising senior kicker [player_tooltip player_id="89328" first="Spencer" last="McKinley"] (5-foot-10, 185 pounds) was 29-of-30 on extra points and hit four field goals during the shortened 2020 season. He’s got solid range already, and we only expect that to continue to improve. Put it all together, and the recruiting waves should continue for the foreseeable future.